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Zephyr
"Hi!!!" Zephyr ("The Harbinger") Galanodel Zephyr is the son of Rydia Galanodel. He is lawful-neutral but contains immense darkness within his heart. However, through sacrifice, his mother sealed away his heart and he now roams the land in search of a way of dispelling the darkness and ridding himself and his mother of their eternal burdens. A Distant Promise Zephyr's origin and call to adventure can be read about in the last sections of A Distant Promise. Deal With the Devil Here was Zephyr's first quest, and he was confident that he would prove a valuable asset to the team. He was set to become a true adventurer, one that would have the strength, courage, and wisdom to journey the land. Beyond Stoneharbor lay information about how he and his mother were connected in an eternal tortured braid with the Forgotten Gods. He needed to prove to himself that he had the strength to take on this quest. However, that must wait for now. The devil Rhelora has appeared once again. The Avalanche had told him the stories of their deals with her and how she had only a bind upon the dwarves and Reed left. Her grip would likely strengthen around them now, having lost her bond with his mother, Rydia. What a horrible woman, this devil! Zephyr was determined to help his friends. They had given him so much in the last few months. The transition to adventure mode was rough for Zephyr. The descent into Roxfort and transportation into the other plane shook him. This marvels of this world are so foreign to him. Zephyr had successfully assisted the Avalanche in his first battle, but only being able to hurdle a single lightning bolt toward the creature. His magic was still unstable and his control over the wild power within him was precariously balanced on the tips of his fingers. It took all his concentration to not mis-cast his magic. Ardan and Pongo had done a lot to help him, but it still did not feel like enough. He continued to work with the rest of the team as they worked their way through the dungeon. They were so confident, and Zephyr felt like he was frequently getting in the way. His attempts at disarming traps instead sent a large boulder hurdling toward them all, and it is shocking that they left as unscathed as they did. And vampires?! Who drinks blood?! Gross. Of all the creatures he had ever seen, Zephyr was in awe of the angel. This creature was willing to sacrifice itself to serve its leader and to accomplish its goal. What valor this terrific creature had. Such drive. But how could one angel destroy an entire plane of existence? How are the Avalanche now supposed to help him do that? Zephyr was not optimistic at first, but the team eventually did succeed. And they succeeded by working together. That was the key. The strength of his friends and companions and the trust and love they had for one another. Together they made their way through the plane and obtained the spells that would destroy the plane as well as bind Rhelora. Finally, they found themselves in the office of Rhelora. This witch had ensnared his friends for years of their lives, including the last years of his mother's life. And this devil was doing it only for her own ambitions. This was so different than the angel; so different than the Avalanche. She did it not for others, she did not do it for some greater purpose. She did it only for herself. This sort of selfish behavior had been one of his mother's largest vices. In many ways, this blind need for redemption, at the expense of everything else, was his own origin. But his mother had underwent a change of heart, and she had attempted to make things right in the end. Rhelora clearly would not have a change of heart--here she was, alone, without friends, without purpose. She must be destroyed. The Avalanche's battle was a challenging one. His friends were taking a beating. What would happen if they were to fall here? At this thought, Zephyr felt something in his chest surge. From within him he unleashed magic he did not know was possible: ice storms rained down within the office, and lightning bolts flew in all directions simultaneously. The meta magic within him had finally snapped into focus, and he felt a control over his magic that he had never experienced. With all of this, Rhelora fell. And while Vistra initially hesitated at destroying her, Zephyr stepped forward and bound the devil to him. With that done, he helped his friends rid themselves of their contract with her and then spoke the incantation that banished her from this realm forever. These final acts brought a feeling of peace to Zephyr. Epilogue - The Wanderer of Time It had been several months since the dealings with Rhelora, and Zephyr had occupied himself continuing his studies at Roxfort and working with the Avalanche to get their affairs in order. With their devil contract destroyed, their fame established across the western regions of the realm, and with a substantial amount of wealth accrued, many of the Avalanche had decided this the opportunity to venture out of Stoneharbor on their own quests. Zephyr, however, felt undecided about his next steps. One day, Zephyr was visiting Roxfort when he ran into Xaris, who had taken a liking to him. Xaris, "Young boy, you are still here? Any more time spent here and we will have to start charging you rent." Xaris and Zephyr talked and the topics turned to Rydia and the Zephyr's cursed heart. Zephyr, "I just don't know where to even begin." Xaris, "Brace yourself, because this might sound cliche, but have you ever thought of following your heart?" Zephyr was clearly confused, assuming it was one of Xaris's famous riddles she tended to throw at him. But this talk always got him upset. "I wish I could. If I could just see her and ask her for help." Xaris, "You're on the right track, boy." Zephyr, "What do you mean?" Xaris, "I make no claim to fully understand the world we live in, but there is something special about the point in space where we come into existence. That moment is where we became bound to this plane of existence. There is magic there, magic that only the person born there can access." Zephyr stared blankly at Xaris. This led Xaris to give a hearty laugh before turning to walk away, "Oh, Zephyr, don't overthink it." She cleared her throat, "Wanderlust draws the acorn off, bringing home to wherever it falls." She paused, "Do you remember that song?" Zephyr, "Yes, from Solostaran Dawnspringer." Xaris, "And the next line?" Zephyr, "Um..." Xaris, "UMMM!" Zephyr, "Umm... Until the winds of time bring seedlings back to replenish the lost roots?" Xaris winked and walked away. --- Several nights later, Zephyr had collected his belongings and had snuck out the back gates of the Frost Lodge. The sun was setting in the west. Zephyr had decided to leave Stoneharbor on his own and make some distance between him and the city during the evening. The talk with Xaris had got him thinking, and it just seemed easier to go on his own. He was not sure how to handle goodbyes. As he was walking along the perimeter of the Lodge, a smirking Vistra stepped out from around the corner, ushering a horse behind her. Vistra, "If you really insist on leaving, at least don't do it on foot." Zephyr blushed in embarrassment and stared at his feet while Vistra continued. "This is Valhalla. It was your mother's horse. It was one of the horses we got on the adventure where the original team all met. You should take her." Zephyr approached the saddle and the horse nodded toward him. He attached his bags and saddled up. Looking back at Vistra, he was at a loss for words for a long time. "I will miss you." Vistra, "We will see each other again." Zephyr, "Please tell the others the same. I wish I could express the feelings in my heart to you all, but as soon as they come, they leave and I have forgotten the feeling." Vistra nodded and they turned back toward the road. Vistra, "You are a true adventurer now, as you always wished. Do you feel ready?" Zephyr sighed, "I am not sure we ever know if we are truly ready." He paused, "But I think so. Only time will tell." Vistra nodded and smiled. He had come a long way in his short time alive. Vistra, "Where will you go then?" Zephyr, "My mother was born in Londar, and I think I will go there." Vistra had a hunch, "Pongo said a caravan recently left heading that way. If you ride north toward Meerport, you may be able to catch up with them. Perhaps you'll even get to pass through Frostpeak, where we all met." Vistra smiled at the idea. "Adventures are always more fun with a group." Zephyr, "I am a little afraid. I am not like any other in the world. I have been warned that all that comes before me will die and pass on, yet I feel... something... for many of you. It is confusing." Vistra, "I am sorry. The evil that drew you into this world is my fault as well. If only I could have stopped your mother then maybe this could have been prevented." Zephyr, "No. I have no regrets about how I came to be. And I hope my mother does not too. And I thank you for being such a good friend to her." Zephyr looked toward the east, "Goodbye, friend. I will try to go home." With that, Zephyr rode Valhalla out of the northern gate of Stoneharbor, with all that he knew behind him. His adventure had begun.